


Carrot Farmers - What If? Collaboration

by midnightopheliac



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: AU, Collaboration, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Interspecies, Interspecies Relationship(s), Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, What if?, alternative reality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-29 10:24:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11438892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightopheliac/pseuds/midnightopheliac
Summary: Nick flees Bellwethers shock collars in Zootopia, choosing to be a carrot farmer for the Hopps family as their daughter, Sheriff Judy Hopps, keeps a close watch on him.





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my loves!
> 
> This mini story is part of the What If? Collaboration, organized by the wonderful Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps. 
> 
> The idea behind the collaboration is that Nick and Judy use a special device (the Prototype Inhibitor for Experiencing Alternate Reality machine) to experience different scenarios and lives. They don't have their memories and experiences from their world to base their choices off of in these scenarios, as the PIXAR machine creates their backgrounds for them. 
> 
> This opened up a whole range of possibilities for me and the other 30+ people working on the project!
> 
> If you want to read the rest of the collaboration then head on over to Cimar's FF, A03, and DA pages. He's updating a chapter a day and at the current rate, you'll have stories until Christmas!
> 
> I have another mini story coming up later on in the project, but I hope for now that you enjoy this one ^_^

"Come on Slick, it'll be fun!" Judy insisted, her grip on Nick's paw tightening.

"Carrots, I don't know about you, but I can remember snippets of last time. It wasn't fun. There was blood, lots of it, and gore, and death." Nick tried not to shudder as the wisps of their last shared dream floated to the forefront of his mind. The tod was okay with horror, enjoyed movies in the genre and had seen his fair share of gruesome scenes while hustling on the streets, but it wasn't exactly suitable for date night.

Judy could remember snippets of their dream too, but for her, it hadn't been so bad, and the memories were so weak that every time she tried to grasp them, sought to examine them more carefully, they fluttered away. "Well we were new to it, it was to be expected that we wouldn't pick the right thing." Her ears fell and she gave him a sheepish look. "Plus I was kind of mad about using our lunch like that so maybe that affected it?" Her ears rose again though as a new smile crept upon her face. "We can pick something different this time. Something more fun! Something..."

"Romantic?" Nick waggled his eyebrows, nudging the bunny by his side. The tod wasn't known for being overly romantic, didn't like huge, grand gestures of love, but he knew his bunny was a sap for all things mushy and cliché..

"Incorrigible fox," Judy teased, rolling her eyes. She knew Nick tried to be romantic for her sake, and she appreciated his efforts. He was always rewarded handsomely for going above and beyond for her.

"Beautiful bunny." Nick shot back without a seconds pause, admiring his doe and the pretty dress she'd put on as they walked down the street, holding paws.

Judy blushed at the compliment, ears flushing a light shade of pink as they drooped. They'd been heading out to the 10-7 for drinks, but Judy wasn't in the mood for overpriced beverages and a sticky, packed venue, even if it was one of their favorite places in the city besides the ZPD and their home. Taking matters into her own paws, Judy changed direction, pulling Nick down another street and towards Fitwick's Arcade.

It didn't take long for them to arrive, and the pair made their way straight towards the PIXAR machine. It was exactly as it was the last time they had visited, with two lounge chairs that reclined back, an assortment of buttons on the armrests and a mousepad on the right armrest. A couple of armadillo's were just leaving and no other mammal was in line.

"Seeing as how you want something romantic, you can pick this time, you big softy," Judy decided, sliding into the seat that she'd claimed as hers on their last visit.

"I'm an officer of the law, Carrots. I'm not a 'softy' as you put." Nick shook his head, the corner of his lips quirking up into a small smile. Gesturing to himself, he spoke. "Bad cop," he gestured to Judy, "Good cop."

"Shush you, get your fluffy butt in that seat." Judy pointed to the vacant spot next to her, excitement bubbling up inside of her at the plethora of possibilities they could live out this time around.

Unable to help himself, Nick smirked. "You like my fluffy butt."

"Nick," Judy warned. They were in public, and while she did indeed like his fluffy butt, it wasn't the place to hold such a conversation...until the curtains were drawn around them at least.

Suitably chastised, Nick took his seat, grinning. "Yes, dear." He pulled his wallet from his pocket, feeding the machine the required amount before he tucked his wallet away again.

Picking up one of the helmets Nick made quick work in placing it on Judy's head, flicking the visor down. "Hey! I can't see what you pick!" Judy protested, small lips tugging down into a frown.

"That's the point, it's a surprise." Nick stole a quick kiss, grateful the visor only covered her beautiful eyes and not her luscious lips. His bunny's frown was too adorable not to sneak a swift smooch. Grabbing his own helmet, Nick slid the device on, picking something from the list of experiences that he thought sounded suitably romantic before he flicked his visor down, settling back into the chair. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, visions of trees passing by, coming into view...

* * *

Running. He had to keep running. The city wasn't safe. Not anymore. Wheezing, his lungs burned, legs ached, and heart hurt. He couldn't stop. Daren't stop. He didn't know what day it was, what the time was, or even  _where_  he was. All he knew was that he had to keep going.

The sprawling city of Zootopia was far behind him, but the tod still didn't feel safe. The rolling countryside around him might be just as dangerous. He'd tried hitchhiking, had tried to flag down a few cars and trucks, but no one wanted to give a ride to a predator, let alone a fox. His hind paws hurt, the rough, loose stones of the country roads digging into his paw pads. He was hungry and cold, tired and heartbroken.

His city, the very city he'd been born in and grown up in, had turned on its predator population. The political coup that had seen Mayor Lionheart overthrown and replaced with Mayor Bellwether had been a devastating blow to the city's predators. Bellwether had struck fear into the hearts of the prey population, who outnumbered predators 10-1. It had culminated in the rounding up of predators and the forced wearing of shock collars.

Nick shuddered. His old friend, Finnick, had been one of the first predators forced to wear the abominations. They were made to keep predators from acting out of aggression and potentially hurting prey animals by delivering a shock when they were enraged or overly emotional. Bellwether had made it sound like a grand idea, like predators were uncivilized and unable to control themselves as well as their prey counterparts could, and did. It had won over the prey population, and the collars had been implemented immediately. Nick had been furious at first, had tried to protest the collars and force the Mayor to change her paw, but when they'd come after him, he'd had no choice but to run.

The Mayor's ram police force, more like her personal army, had stormed his family home on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and Nick and his mom had been forced to flee. They'd escaped through his bedroom window, climbing down the creaky, metal fire escape before running once their hind paws had hit the ground. The streets had been packed with prey mammals though, and in the chaos, he'd lost sight of his mom. With the ram's closing in, Nick had been left with no choice but to keep going, and with every step he'd taken since he'd beaten himself up about leaving his mom behind, abandoning her like a coward. He prayed every night that she was safe, that she'd managed to make it out of the city too. The rams had come for them with no warning, and they'd been forced to leave with only the clothes on their back. Nick had nothing to his name anymore, and he could never return to the city so long as Mayor Bellwether was in charge.

Focusing on the present, Nick knew he'd need to stop soon. His whole body ached and having gone days without food he could feel his energy sapping away. He'd never gone so long without a meal before. Though he was in his late twenties, he had lived at home with his mom, taking over the role as the male of the house after his father's untimely passing ten years ago. Though he hadn't paid too much attention at school, Nick had earned a job in one of the Nocturnal districts many factories, manufacturing furniture for the cities small to medium sized population. It hadn't been well paying, but he'd been good at it, and it had kept a roof over his and his mom's heads while ensuring there was food on the table.  _"What I'd give for some of mom's cooking right now."_

As exhaustion crept up on him, Nick slowed his run to a jog, trying to conserve as much energy as possible. There was nothing but the open road ahead of him and lush green fields around with trees seemingly randomly dispersed throughout, but the dark clouds gathering in the sky were ominous and Nick needed to find shelter soon. In the distance, a sign came into view. It was shaped like a rabbit, painted bright yellow, and as Nick drew closer, he could make out the words on it. _'Welcome to Bunnyburrow, population: 081,435,805.'_ Nick gulped. Bunnyburrow was filled with rabbits...and rabbits weren't known to be accepting of his species.

Passing the sign, Nick continued down the road, remaining alert and on guard. He'd never come face to face with country mammals before, and the tod was confident they wouldn't take well to him. The sky darkened above him, and before Nick knew it, the heavens opened. Rain poured down, drenching the city fox in seconds. His clothes were saturated, sticking to his fur which was as equally wet. Miserable emerald eyes scanned his surroundings. Nick, shivering and his paws wrapped around him in a feeble attempt to stay warm, tried to find some shelter, and over in a nearby field, spotted a big red barn. Hopping over the fence, Nick was grateful for the soft soil beneath his hind paws and the brief respite from the rough road.

Weaving amongst the wheat in the field, Nick skittered in places as the soil soaked up the rain, turning to mud. By the time he made it to the barn, he was filthy, but as Nick pulled the barn door open and slipped into the dry space afforded by the barn, he could only feel grateful.

Shutting the door behind him, Nick sighed, leaning against the wood. The barn was dry, the perfect shelter from the rain. Taking a few steps inside, Nick glanced down at his clothes, realizing they were ruined. Stripping off, he hung them over a piece of wire which ran the width of the back of the barn, hoping the dry air would harden the mud and he could then brush it off. Left only in his wet underwear, Nick set about scouting his surroundings. The large space in front of the doors, where Nick currently stood, housed a tractor, the wall to his left was covered in farm tools and to his right was a storage room, a ladder next to it leading up to a mezzanine level. Nick stole a glance into the storage room, finding it full of hay bales. "That'll do." He grinned, picking up one of the bales. Carrying it out of the room he held onto it with one paw as he climbed the ladder up to the mezzanine level. Though he would be backing himself into a corner being so high up, Nick wanted to tuck himself away as much as possible, to hide his presence in the barn. The last thing he wanted was an angry farmer chasing him away.

Picking the corner of the split-level furthest away from the barn doors, Nick spread out the hay. It didn't take long before the fox collapsed in a heap on the dry material, nose wrinkling as he caught a whiff of himself. He smelt like death, most likely looked like it too. His stomach ached with hunger, and his body felt like it was on fire, but as his eyelids grew heavy and the sound of the rain filled his ears, Nick was powerless to stop himself from falling asleep.

* * *

As the sun rose, Stu woke. Having spent his whole life on the family farm, his body was perfectly tuned to the rising and setting of the sun, no matter the season. Stealing a glance to his left, he watched for a short while as his wife slept. She was so beautiful, and the buck often wondered how he'd been so lucky as to win the heart of such a magnificent mammal. She'd given him 276 kits, and as Stu stole a glance to his wife's belly, he didn't bother hiding his grin.  _"276 and counting."_

Careful not to wake his love, for she needed as much sleep as possible while carrying his kits, Stu changed quickly into his outdoor clothes, pulling on his dungarees over his pants and shirt. Jamming his favorite carrot cap onto his head, the buck crept from the bedroom, ready to start his day.

After devouring a stack of toast, Stu scooped up the keys to his truck, making his way out to the vehicle parked at the back of the Hopps warren. Once he was seated comfortably, he put the keys in the ignition, starting the rickety old truck. Ready for the day's work, he headed in the direction of the barn to collect his tools. Today was the start of the harvest season, and Stu would need to put in countless hours and enlist the help of nearly all of his able-bodied kits to collect as many carrots as possible. Stu's suppliers had upped their quota for this year, and he would need every Hopps rabbit available to help him meet it.

As his truck came to a stop outside of the barn, Stu disembarked, leaving the keys in the sun visor. No one would steal from the Sheriff's father afterall. Whistling an old tune, Stu heaved the barn door aside, making his way indoors and towards his tools on the left wall. First, he picked up a shovel, which he put in the cab of the tractor, and then he picked up a pitchfork. Turning towards the buckets at the back of the barn, Stu caught sight of some clothes strung up over a wire. Abruptly, his whistling stopped, and the buck's paws tightened on the pitchfork. The clothes were masculine and far too large to belong to one of his sons.  _"Someone's in here."_  Stu crept around the back of the tractor, quickly checking the storeroom. He couldn't see anyone, but he noticed on of his hay bales were missing. There was only one other place the intruder could be, if indeed they were still present. " _I hope they aren't..."_

Keeping a firm grip on his pitchfork with one paw, Stu climbed the ladder up to the mezzanine level. Padless hind paws touched down on the wooden flooring, and the buck crept forward, both paws tightening on the pitchfork which he held in front of him, sharp points facing outwards. Taking a few more steps forward, he peered around the edge of some more hay bales, his heart racing.

There, in the corner of his barn, slept a semi-naked fox, curled up tight with his tail around him, reaching his snout. Shaking, Stu wished he had his taser on him. Foxes were the  _worst_ , and they caused trouble wherever they went. He needed the mammal out of his barn, but he didn't want to call his Sheriff daughter Judy to come and take care of it. Stu didn't want to risk her being hurt. Creeping forward, the buck kept his steps as light as possible, hoping to spook the fox and wallop him with the pitchfork before he could swipe at him with his big, sharp claws.

Still a safe distance away, Stu pushed the pitchfork forward, letting the sharp prongs poke against the sleeping fox. The buck watched with baited breath as the fox woke, emerald eyes appearing from behind the bushy tail. It took a moment, but those sleepy eyes soon widened in fear.

Nick had been enjoying his rest, pleased to finally have somewhere warm, dry, and reasonably comfortable to sleep. He'd been sleeping up trees since escaping the city, so having the opportunity to curl up into a ball had been a blessing. He'd been in the midst of a wonderful dream when he'd been rudely awoken, the digging of metal into his tail irritating and foreign to the tod. As he lazily blinked back sleep, his eyes finally focused on the source of the metal. Eyes widening in fear at the sight of the pitchfork and the farmer waving it at him, Nick skittered as far back into the corner of the barn as possible, lifting his paws to protect himself. His heart hammered; pulse racing as he tried to make himself as small as possible, to not end up skewered by the pitchfork.

"Who are you?" Stu demanded, sounding braver than he felt. The fox was seemingly afraid of him, and now that he could get a good look at him, Stu realized that he didn't know this fox. He looked nothing like any of the Grey family either, so he couldn't be related to Gideon. "Why are you in my barn? What do you want?" He took another step forward, pitchfork now shaking as Stu's nerves started to get the better of him.

Nick glanced between the pitchfork and the buck, swallowing. "N-Nicholas Wilde, Sir." He introduced himself, his tail swishing to cover his semi-naked body as much as possible. "I was running, trying to get away from Zootopia, and it started raining. I needed somewhere to sleep, and your barn was the first building I saw. I'm sorry Sir. I didn't mean to trespass. I'll go, and you'll never see me again." Nick pleaded, slowly creeping along the back wall of the barn as he tried to get closer to the railing. He'd happily jump the distance, snag his clothes, and run.

"Why are you running from the city, Nicholas?" Stu continued his questioning. The fox would have had to travel hundreds of miles to make it to Bunnyburrow and Stu questioned what was going on that would drive a mammal to flee such a distance.

"Collars, Sir. Mayor Bellwether is collaring all of us predators, like we're savages." Nick spat, unable to keep the venom out of his voice, the anger and hatred he felt towards the ewe indescribable. Nick's stomach chose that moment to growl, and the tod dropped his paws to his tummy, embarrassed by the noise and reminded once again of his hunger.

"When did you last eat?" Stu heard the fox's stomach grumble and he frowned. The tod looked gaunt, his fur straggly and unkempt, covered in mud. Stu had heard about the events in the city, but it was too far away to be much of an issue for the mammals of Bunnyburrow.

It took a moment for Nick to respond, the tod having to rack his brain for today's date. "I don't know Sir, I can't remember."

Though the fox looked filthy, Stu could see the strength in his frame, could tell that though it had been a while since he'd last eaten anything, he would probably have decent stamina. An idea struck the buck, and though he was sure it would come back to bite him on the butt later, he decided to strike a deal with Nicholas. An extra set of paws during harvest season would be extremely useful. "Now I ain't one to usually make deals with strange mammals, especially those who turn up unannounced and make themselves at home in my barn," he leveled his best scowl at the fox, one he had practiced on all his sons. It worked as the tod shrank into himself and Stu continued. "But it's harvest season, and I need as many sets of paws as possible. You look like a strong mammal, Nicholas, and there ain't anywhere else for you to go unless you want to end up in Podunk and let me tell you that place is the worst. So, in exchange for you working the fields for me and helping my family with the harvest, I'll give you food and lodgings."

Nick blinked, caught off guard by the bucks offer. He'd been pretty confident he was about to be chased out of the barn and threatened with the pitchfork again. The rabbit was right, though. Nick had nowhere else to go. At least if he took him up on his offer, he'd have food in his belly and a roof over his head. How hard could farm work be anyway? "Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your offer. It would be nice to not have to run anymore."

Stu nodded, pleased that the fox had accepted the deal. "Good, then this barn will be your lodgings from now on. I have a lot of kits, and I don't need you in the warren with them." He lay down the first rule, happy to see Nick nodding his agreement. The tod was grateful for anything at present, and sleeping in the barn was better than being exposed to the elements. He hadn't' expected the buck to allow him into the warren, as most mammals were still apprehensive about his species. "You can't work on an empty stomach, so I'll go and fetch some food for you. I'll see if I the Grey's have any spare clothes you could borrow for the time being too, they're the only other foxes in the district. You wait here, and I'll be right back." Stu backed away slowly, lowering his pitchfork ever so slightly. He descended the ladder, taking the tool with him as he headed towards the doors.

"Sir?" Nick watched the buck leave and called out to him as he approached the doors. Nick's paws were resting on the railing of the mezzanine level, his tail still wrapped around him to hide as much of his body as possible.

Hearing Nick calling out to him, Stu turned and looked up at him. "Yes?"

Nick licked his lips, the tip of his tail flicking with nerves. Though he would be working for his food and lodgings, Nick was still thankful for the buck's kindness. "Thank you. I want you to know that I appreciate your compassion and that I wouldn't dream of hurting your family, but I understand your apprehension. I'm grateful for you giving me a chance, though."

Stu felt his shoulders drop as his paws loosened on the pitchfork. The earnest expression on the tod's face and the sincerity in his tone made Stu feel momentarily bad for threatening him with one of his farming tools.  _"You old idiot. He's just a kit, a scared and lonely kit. Still, until I know more, I can't get let him get near my family. Maybe Judy might be able to run his name through the police database and tell me more."_  Deciding to leave the pitchfork, Stu let it rest against the wall of the barn next to the door. "You're welcome, Nicholas. Welcome to the Hopps Family Farm."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited by Cimar.


	2. Part II

The sound of frantic knocking pulled Sheriff Judy Hopps from her slumber. Grumbling under her breath, she hauled herself out of bed, pulling open her bedroom door to find her father standing there, paws grasping at the straps of his dungarees.

"Mornin' Jude. I need you to run a name for me quickly, please," Stu greeted his daughter. He'd hoped that she would become a carrot farmer and join the family business, but Judy had dreamt of joining the police force. She'd spent a year training and had returned as an officer, looking over the residents of Bunnyburrow. Stu had been relieved that his little girl had been assigned their home district and hadn't been shipped off to the big city as crime was almost non-existent in Bunnyburrow, making his daughter's job extremely safe. With limited crime and few officers in the district, Judy worked her way up to Sheriff far quicker than she would have done in the city. The job came with the same perks as the city workers though, something that Stu loved – healthcare, safety, a good pension, access to all police records...

...and did he mention safety?

"You want me to what?" Judy frowned, letting her dad into her room as she crossed to her desk, lifting the lid on her police issue laptop. They knew everyone in the district, why would he need her to look up someone?

Stepping into his daughter's room, Stu closed the door behind him before he dropped his voice to a whisper, knowing that all of his kits had excellent hearing. None of them needed to know about their new guest just yet. "We had a visitor last night, he's in the barn. I want to make sure he's not a criminal."

Confused, but willing to oblige her father, Judy logged onto the secure police network. "Okay, do you have a name?" She poised ready to type, her curiosity piqued. They rarely had visitors in Bunnyburrow, and given that the Hopps farm was on the outskirts of the district it was even more unusual for them to have guests.

"Nicholas Wilde." Stu reiterated the name the fox had given him, stepping closer to his daughter so he could peer over her shoulder at the screen.

Judy typed in the name, hitting the enter key. It took a moment for the system to catch up, but soon she was staring at a photo of a red fox. "Our guest is a fox?" Judy hissed, head tipping so she could look at her father.

Stu checked the photo on the screen; pleased to see it matched the mammal in the barn. "Mhm. That's him alright. Found him in the back of the barn. The kit was soaked right through, scrawny as hell. I offered him food and lodgings in exchange for him working the farm."

"Are you nuts! We don't even know him!" Judy gestured to the screen, her gaze returning to the picture of the tod. She couldn't deny he was easy on the eyes, but he was a fox. Foxes were trouble. They lied frequently, were known to have sticky fingers, and once upon a time they'd eaten Judy's kind.

"Which is why I'm having you look into him. What does it say?" Stu asked. He couldn't leave the fox in the barn for long, and there was a lot that needed doing before he could go back to him.

Sighing, Judy started to scroll through the results. "All he has is a misdemeanour for trespass," she informed her father, which earned an amused snort from the buck. "Other than that, he's clean. Driving license says he's 28, lives in Zootopia on Cypress Grove Lane with a Marian Wilde, and going by her age I'd say it's his mother. He works for Fur-nature Ltd as a laborer, pays his taxes every year, and no fraudulent activity has been flagged on his bank account."

"So he's a good kit?" Stu clarified, eyes skipping over the information on the screen. From the sounds of it, Nicholas wasn't a bad mammal.

"He's a fox, dad," Judy pointed out, rolling her eyes. Her mother had drilled it into her when she'd been a youngster that foxes were nothing but trouble, and a confrontation with Gideon Grey, one of Bunnyburrow's few fox residents, when she'd been nine years old had cemented that idea in Judy's mind.

"True, but overall he's not as bad as some foxes can be," Stu countered. The kits record was clean for the most part, and he'd been very polite towards Stu when he'd cornered him. That didn't mean the buck trusted him, but it was enough to make him consider being a little warmer towards him.

Judy shrugged, conceding. She'd seen her fair share of worse. Gideon Grey's rap sheet was miles long, after all.

"Alright, I'm feeling a bit easier about him being here now. I want you to keep an eye on him though, Jude. If he even gives you the smallest vibe of trouble you're to cuff him and kick him out of here, okay?" Stu assigned the job to his daughter, knowing she would be able to deal with Nicholas should he step out of line. Judy's police training had involved taking down larger mammals and he had absolute faith in his daughter.

Turning to her father, Judy lifted a paw to her chest in surprise. "Why is he my responsibility? You're the one who offered him food and lodgings!" she protested.

"Because you're the sheriff and my daughter, and I trust your judgment. Besides, trouble is at an all time low during harvest season, so it'll give you something to do." Nearly all of Bunnyburrow's residents were busy bringing in the crops during the day, and by the time night came around they were too exhausted to get into any mischief. It was the quietest time of year for his daughter, and rather than having her sitting around doing nothing, watching over the fox would give her something to do and would keep her occupied. It would also ease the old buck's concerns about having Nicholas on his property.

"You're too kind," Judy responded sarcastically; paw falling from her chest to land on her desk.

"Mind your tone, Judith," Stu admonished his daughter. She was an adult, yes, but he was still her father, and he expected a certain level of respect from her.

Having the decency to look apologetic, Judy dipped her head. "Sorry, dad."

Accepting his daughter's apology, Stu gave the fur on her head an affectionate ruffle. "It's fine. I'm going to take Nicholas some food, I want you to change and head over to the Grey house, see if they have any clothes they'd be willing to lend our guest."

Frowning, Judy looked up. "What happened to the clothes he arrived in?"

"They're filthy and torn, and your mother will have to wash and fix them before we can give them back to him. He can't work the fields in his underwear." Stu hadn't had the chance to properly examine Nick's clothes, but they'd looked tatty and worn. There was only so much his wife, Bonnie, would be able to do to repair them, but the buck hoped she'd be able to salvage them. Few places in Bunnyburrow sold clothes for foxes, and they didn't have the funds to order anything from the city for the tod. “ _Still not sure how we're going to pay for 7th litter's college tuition next year...”_ the buck contemplated.

"What if they Grey's won't lend us any clothes?" Judy wasn't that friendly with the Grey family. They caused a lot of trouble in the district, and she was always arresting Gideon for one thing or another. Her appearance on his family driveway often led to a confrontation.

"Then you'll think of something. You're the sheriff." Stu turned and left the room, striding back towards the kitchen to rustle up some food for the fox. He'd have to get used to vegetarian meals, as there was no way on earth Stu or Bonnie would be handling fish or bugs.

Groaning in frustration, Judy closed her search, logging out of the secure network and shut down her laptop. She had some clothes to find.

* * *

 

Judy had managed to convince the Grey's to lend her two outfits, and with them in paw, she'd made her way back home. Her father had been waiting for her in the kitchen, and once Judy had handed them over he'd headed out, clothes in one paw and a basket of food in the other. Her mother was busy preparing breakfast for herself and her 275 siblings. "I take it dad told you about the guest in the barn?" Judy set about helping her mom, stacking slices of bread next to the toasters.

Bonnie sighed. Stu had come back home and informed her about the guest in their barn and the deal he'd made with him. "Yes, and while I'm not best pleased, another set of paws during the harvest would be useful. At least your father had the foresight to leave him in the barn."

"Dad wants me to keep an eye on him." Judy chewed on her lower lip, placing the jumbo tub of butter down next to the bread, along with a pawful of butter knives.

"There's no one better for the job," Bonnie reassured her daughter with a tight smile. The Hopps matriarch didn't want one of her babies being around a fox, but Judy had experience with the sly species, she was most suited to the job.

Sighing, Judy's response was interrupted by the arrival of her siblings, who all piled into the warren's huge dining room, organizing themselves into a somewhat neat line, ready to enter the kitchen and get their breakfast. Grabbing a bowl of cereal, Judy pressed a kiss to her mom's temple. "I'll eat and then I'll go and see our guest."

"I want a full report when you get back!" Bonnie called out as her daughter made her way to the dining room. Giving her belly a quick rub, Bonnie shifted her focus to the fluffle waiting for food.

Judy ate quickly, eager to get out to the barn and see the fox who was causing such a fuss. She already had her trusty service belt on, complete with fox repellent should he try anything funny, so once her bowl was empty and stacked in one of the dishwashers, she headed for the back door.

The journey to the barn didn't take long, but upon her arrival, she found the door wide open and their guest nowhere in sight. His clothes were still strung over a wire at the back, though, and Judy made a mental note to collect them later and take them back to the warren to join the mountains of laundry. The doe decided to snoop around, to see if the fox had brought anything with him. A quick search of the barn turned up nothing except the small area he'd set aside for sleeping, and it appeared like he'd arrived with nothing more than the clothes on his back. As Judy left the barn, trained violet eyes spotted large hind paw prints in the dirt, the telltale sign of claws making small divots with every step the fox had taken. He couldn't have gone far, but Judy still took the farm cart she'd driven to the barn. If it came to it and he tried anything funny, she could at least mow him over with the vehicle to subdue him.

Keeping her eyes on the paw prints, Judy drove alongside them towards one of the larger carrot fields. Pulling over, she climbed atop the cart to give her some height. About halfway into the field, surrounded on all sides by carrots, she spotted a reddish-orange mammal.  _"Bingo!"_  Stepping down from the cart Judy double-checked her belt, paw finding her fox repellent, and she set off into the field.

When the buck had returned to Nick in the barn, he'd brought with him two clean sets of clothes and a basket of food. The rabbit had even shown Nick where the hosepipe was, and the fox took great pleasure in washing the mud out of his fur. Once he was clean and dressed, he'd eaten the food provided, savoring every bite, thanking the rabbit profusely for the delicious meal. With the food consumed, the tod had asked to start working right away, wanting to prove to the buck, that had introduced himself as Stuart Hopps, that he was hard working and appreciative. Stu had led him to a carrot field, handed him a bag of tools and a large basket, and set him to work.

Nick was struggling, but he was determined to do as much as possible. He was a city fox, and though he was good with furniture making tools, farm tools were new to him. Nick only had a few carrots in his basket, his method of removing them from the ground slow and tiring. He couldn't find the right way to harvest them, so had resorted to using his claws and digging the carrots out, slowly revealing them before he scooped them out of the dirt. Entrenched with his task, the shadow that fell over Nick spooked him, and the tod looked up quickly, worried he'd find a pitchfork in his face. Instead, he was met with the sight of a beautiful gray bunny that had the prettiest violet eyes he'd ever seen.

Judy loomed over the fox, who was down on his knees in the dirt, picking carrots. Folding her arms across her chest as she looked down at him, Judy was surprised when the tod looked up. Objectively she'd known he was easy on the eyes, the photo on his driving license had shown her that much, but seeing him up close, being on the receiving end of those emerald eyes, it made the doe falter for a split second. "So you're the mammal causing all the fuss," Judy finally said, finding her voice after clearing her throat.

Blinking, Nick took in the rabbit's demeanor. Her folded arms suggested defensiveness and Nick sank back onto his haunches. Wiping his right paw on his newly acquired pants, he offered it out to the doe. "Nicholas Wilde, Ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Glancing down at the paw offered out to her, Judy pursed her lips. Nick, feeling the sting of her rejection, let his paw drop, and nervously he grasped at the fabric of his pants.

The tod's body language made Judy feel like a jerk, and the doe felt a flash of shame. It was her job to serve and protect, to look out for all mammals, and here she was judging the fox before her without getting to know him. Tentatively she unfolded her arms, offering out a paw. "Sheriff Judy Hopps."

Nick had half a mind to reject Judy's paw, to give her a taste of her own medicine, but his mom had raised him to be the bigger mammal, so he reached out, shaking the offered paw. Her surname told the tod that she was more than likely Stu's daughter. "I apologize if I've caused any trouble, Sheriff." Nick spared a quick glance around as he took his paw back.  _"Is she here to arrest me for trespassing and seeking shelter in her family barn? I can't afford to be caught up with the cops."_

"No trouble so far Nicholas," Judy crossed her arms back over her chest, not entirely comfortable being out in the open with him and having no one to back her up. "But I will be keeping an eye on you to make sure you don't step out of line or get sticky fingers, and if I see anything that concerns me, I will not hesitate to arrest you."

"Please, call me Nick." The use of his full first name made the tod cringe. Only his mother used it, and only when he'd done something wrong. The mention of her keeping an eye on him in case he stole anything made the fox frown, insulted by the insinuation that he was a thief. "I don't intend to steal anything from your family, Sheriff. Your father has been very kind to me, and I don't bite the paw that feeds."

Reading the foxes body language and micro-expressions, Judy could see that he'd taken her words to heart. Her warning still stood, though. Moving her gaze to the basket of carrots and the clean farm tools, she frowned, arms unfurling and falling to her sides. "You're not using the fork and spade?" She gestured to the paw tools, noticing that they were clean.

Eyes dropping to the tools, Nick bit the inside of his lip, moving his gaze to his dirt-covered claws. "I've never used them before, never harvested anything in my life. I was just using my claws, Sheriff," he confessed.

Ears drooping, Judy silently cursed her father for not showing Nick the ropes. City mammals weren't used to country work and in the end it would only slow down the work if he didn't know what to do. The fact that Nick had been using his claws, had been digging the carrots out and exhausting himself, getting filthy in the process, tugged at the doe's heart.  _"Watch yourself, Judy."_  She dropped to her knees opposite the fox, a carrot plant between them. "Judy. Please call me Judy." Rolling up her sleeves, she grabbed the fork.

"Here, let me show you how to do it." She offered, capturing the tod's attention. "First you need to loosen the soil around it with the fork." Judy demonstrated, gently breaking up the earth around the carrot. "Then gently grasp the green top and lightly pull, wiggling a bit." She put down the tool, following her own instructions until she'd plucked the carrot from the ground. "Give it a quick brush with your paw to get rid of some more soil." Judy cleaned the carrot before placing it in the basket at Nick's side. "Then use the spade to fill the hole back in." She finished up, offering the tools out to the fox.

Nick watched Judy carefully, following every move she made, memorizing the correct way to harvest the carrots. He appreciated her kindness, offering a small yet warm smile as she handed him the tools, careful to keep his mouth shut and hide his sharp teeth. Following Judy's instructions, Nick quickly harvested the next carrot plant. "There you go," Judy grinned. "We'll make a farmer out of you yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited by Cimar  
> Artwork by Knoton13: https://knoton13.deviantart.com/


	3. Part III

Judy had spent the last two weeks keeping an eye on the fox as he worked the fields. Once Judy had shown him the correct way to harvest carrots he'd fallen into a rhythm, and now he could clear hundreds of plants a day. He was the most productive mammal on the farm, and Judy felt a strange swell of pride at how well Nick had adapted to country life. Her father still kept Judy's siblings away from him, and the closer her mom got to her due date the more angsty her father became about having a predator on their land. While Judy had initially been allowed to leave Nick alone during the day as he worked the land, that was no longer the case. She was on Nick-sitting duty all day, every day, to placate her father.

"I know you can't stay away, Carrots, but I don't think I need protecting from the produce." The teasing was a new thing between them, but Nick felt more comfortable around the rabbit cop now. He'd even given her the nickname after knowing her a few days when he'd caught her sneaking a carrot from his basket to munch on for lunch. Watching the beautiful bunny nibble on a carrot he'd harvested had given the tod pause. Nick hardly knew her, yet his heart had clenched seeing her eat something he'd pulled from the earth with his own two paws. The fox had forced the feeling away, locking it down. It was inappropriate, not least because she was the daughter of his boss.

"Har har." Judy rolled her eyes, lounging in the bed of the truck they'd taken out to one of the fields. After her breakfast she'd headed out to the barn, taking Nick some food before they'd headed out to one of the many fields. Judy had helped the tod for a while, plucking carrots side by side, but her paws and knees had started to hurt from all of the physical work. She'd left farm work behind when she'd decided to become an officer, and her body was built more for chasing down perps than kneeling in the dirt picking carrots.

A comfortable silence fell over the pair as Nick continued to work diligently. He'd always been a hard worker, but there was more at stake now. Nick needed to keep Stu happy so that he'd be able to keep living in his barn and receive food, and not end up shipped back to the city. The tod knew he was lucky to have made it out of Zootopia and to not have a collar around his neck, to have found sanctuary on the Hopps Family Farm. Nick still prayed every day that his mom had made it out of the city, that she'd found somewhere safe too. News was slowly filtering out to Bunnyburrow about the events in the city. Many of the predators were running away, and some of them had even made it to rabbit district. Nick had recognized a few of the faces and had vouched for a couple of them, prompting other farms in the area to hire them and offer them food and lodgings in return for work, knowing how much help Nick had been to the Hopps family. The district and its residents still held a general distrust towards predators, but Nick could tell that Judy was slowly warming to him. It enabled the fox to drop his mask a little, to joke some more, and to not be as frightened.

Tipping her head sideways, Judy watched the fox as he dug up the produce, muscular arms flexing, clawed paws wrapped tightly around the tools. The dirt clung to his clothes and fur, and Judy's gaze traveled over his body as she subconsciously licked her lips. He was still a little thin, but the doe could see the silent power in him. His fluffy tail sat in the dirt behind him, the tip flicking lazily while he worked. The doe felt a flash of heat course through her, breath catching.  _"You can't be attracted to him, can you? He's a fox for cripes sake, Judy! Sneaky, sly, untrustworthy…strong, funny, handsome..."_ Judy gasped quietly, forcing herself to look back up at the sky as she swallowed, trying to push away her thoughts. " _No! You're not attracted to him. You just haven't been on a date with a nice buck for a while, that's all."_

The feeling of being watched made the tod a little uneasy. He was used to mammals keeping their eye on him, used to them surveying him and making a judgment about him because of his species, but the weight of Judy's gaze was stifling. Plucking the last carrot of the row out of the ground, Nick brushed the dirt off of it and added it to his basket, filling in the hole the carrot had come from afterward. With the row plucked clean, Nick stood, bones creaking from having been knelt in the dirt for so long. Reaching down he scooped up the basket of carrots, lugging it over to the truck and sliding in onto the bed next to Judy. "All done with this row, Fluff," he declared, trying his hardest not to enjoy the sight of the gray bunny stretched out, the heat forcing her to wear a pair of shorts and a matching tank top.

Judy snorted, the sound unladylike. The fox had a strange sense of humor. When he'd first called her Carrots the bunny hadn't been sure whether to be offended or not, but the more he used it, and the more Judy realized it was used with fondness rather than maliciousness, the more it grew on her. She was yet to come up with a suitable nickname in return for the tod. "Fluff? That's a new one. If anyone should be called Fluff, though, it's you. I mean have you seen your tail?"

Quirking an eyebrow, the tod stopped brushing his paws clear of dirt. His tail swished, and he stole a quick glance at it. It wasn't that fluffy, in his opinion. Turning back to the bunny, Nick leaned against the side of the truck, paws resting on the edge of the bed as he looked down at Judy sprawled out, looking up at the sky. "You've been checking out my tail?" he teased, able to hide the light thump his tail made against the ground.

Eyes widening, Judy scrambled to sit up, facing the fox. "What? No, I didn't say that!" Judy protested. It was dangerous for the tod to start thinking that she was attracted to him and that she'd been checking him out. He was an employee of her family, a predator, and a refugee. She couldn't get involved.

Judy's reaction and response amused the tod, and he didn't bother hiding his smirk or the way his eyes twinkled with mirth. "It's okay Carrots, I know I'm irresistible." Nick continued to tease, lifting a paw to brush over his face and head dramatically. Judy was too easy to wind up.

"Imperious, more like," Judy shot back, one of her small paws reaching out to give Nick's shoulder a light shove. It was the first bit of physical contact between them, the doe having kept her paws to herself until that point. She knew she wouldn't catch cooties from the fox, but the thought of him touching her in return, of those long, sharp claws catching her skin, made her shudder. His species was built for hurting her, and though he hadn't given her any reason to fear him over the past two weeks, she was still on her guard.

Faking hurt, Nick staggered back as if he'd been shot. "Assault, Sheriff, assault!" He called out, paw rising to his shoulder as if he were holding a wound. The corners of his lips tugged up into a playful smile, oddly at ease with the Sheriff. Though Nick held no ill will towards cops, he'd always been cautious of them in the city. Profiling was a genuine danger, and as a fox, Nick was targeted with being the worst.

"No one can hear you scream out here," Judy laughed, enjoying the overly dramatic antics of the red fox. During his first few days on the farm, he'd been highly reserved, skittish and guarded, but Judy could see him opening up to her more, showing his true personality, and the doe liked what she was seeing. At first, Judy had painted him as trouble and a thief. Though the doubts still lingered in the back of her mind, she was starting to understand that he wasn't a bad mammal, that he was happy to put in the work asked of him and grateful for the safety he received in return.

"Come on, we'll head back for some lunch," Judy offered, bringing her laughter under control. Working the fields in the blazing midday sunshine was never a good idea, and Nick looked in need of a rest.

"What're you gonna bring me to eat today?" Nick inquired as Judy jumped from the bed, circling the vehicle to slide into the driver's seat as Nick took the passenger space beside her.

"We're heading back to the warren so that you can pick for yourself." Judy had made up her mind. At first, the doe had been okay with forcing Nick to live in the barn, but having grown closer to the predator, she could see now how cruel his arrangements were. He was still a mammal, still had feelings and thoughts, and forcing him to sleep on a pile of hay in the stuffy barn, to hose himself down instead of enjoying a hot shower, and have to do his business around the back of the building was appalling. Nick had taken it all with grace, had happily accepted what he'd been given, but to Judy, it wasn't enough. He deserved somewhere comfy and cool to sleep, somewhere with actual plumbing to take care of his needs. Her parents would protest, but Judy would fight in the tod's corner. She took an oath when she became an officer.

The news that they were heading to the warren put Nick on edge. Living in the warren hadn't been part of his deal, and the last thing the fox wanted to do was upset his boss. Stu had been more than kind to him, and Nick didn't want to look ungrateful. Opening his maw to complain, the hard glint in Judy's eyes had him shutting it quickly. He knew that look. He wouldn't win if they argued. Instead, Nick kept quiet, slumping in the seat and watching the countryside as it rolled past them. Folding his arms, Nick pulled them tight to his chest, his brows furrowed, and lips pressed together in nervousness.

They rode in silence, and Judy was first out of the vehicle when they arrived at the back porch of the Hopps warren. Nick lingered, staying in the truck for another few seconds until Judy beckoned him out. "It's alright; I'm not going to let them hurt you." The doe reassured the tod as he climbed out of the car, the agitated swishing of his tail hard to miss.

"It's not that," Nick murmured, following behind Judy as she took the steps up the porch and entered through the back door. The room that met him was a huge kitchen, the walls lined with cupboards, fridges, and ovens. In the middle of the room was the largest island counter the tod had ever seen, and sat at a pair of stools at the counter was Stu and an older doe, flicking through a recipe book as she cradled her stomach.  _"Pregnant. Great. I'm sharing a room with a pregnant prey mammal."_ Nick braced himself for being chased out, for being hurt. The instincts of prey animals were amplified when they were with kits, and unfortunately, his species would deem him as a threat. Forcing himself to remain as small as possible, Nick pulled his tail close to his body, keeping his paws at his sides as he stood behind Judy, letting her shield him.

"Hey mom, dad," Judy greeted her parents with a smile, though the friendly grin fell the moment her parents looked up.

"What the heck is he doing in here, Judith?" Stu was up and out of his seat the moment he spotted the fox behind his daughter, instincts driving him to shield Bonnie from the potential threat as he moved around his wife, blocking her from Nick's view.

Frowning at her dad's actions and the harshness of his tone, Judy gestured to the large clock hanging above the row of fridges. "It's lunchtime."

"You can take his food out to the barn." Though Nick had been working hard and hadn't caused the buck any problems, and Stu had been contemplating giving him access to the bathrooms to take care of his needs, he didn't want the predator in his warren with his wife so close to giving birth. His instincts screamed at him to protect her. Stu felt a rush of annoyance towards his daughter for her blatantly disobeying him and bringing the fox into their home.

Frustrated with her father, Judy figured she'd bite the bullet and voice her concerns. "I want Nick to stay here. It's unfair for him to be out there, sleeping on hay, showering with the hose, and doing his business out back." The doe understood her fathers need to keep her mom safe, to protect her younger siblings, but Judy had a gut feeling about the fox behind her. Though her father was polite to Nick and knew that as far as criminal history went, he was a good mammal, Judy knew he was still apprehensive given the vulnerability of their family at present.

Having been silently watching and listening to the conversation, Nick finally found his tongue. He didn't want to cause any problems, was more than content with what Stu had already offered him. Pushing his luck wasn't wise. Gently reaching out, the tod brushed a clawed paw against Judy's shoulder, sensing her growing anger. Tail flicking out to brush against the does ankles Nick tried to soothe her. "It's okay, Carrots. I'm grateful for the barn, honestly," he whispered, emerald eyes finding violet as Judy turned to look at him.

"No. It's not okay, Nick. You deserve better than thatm" Judy disagreed, shaking her head. The light brush of his tail against her ankles was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Switching her gaze back to her parents, Judy offered a compromise, feeling the light weight of Nick's paw still against her shoulder. "He can stay with me in my room so that I can keep an eye on him." She hated insinuating that Nick was trouble, knew in her gut that he wasn't, but Judy figured it would placate her parents. "I took an oath to serve and protect all mammals."

"Our kindness has protected Nicholas from the collars in the city, Judy," Stu argued. The deal he'd struck with the fox had benefitted both of them, and Stu wasn't in a hurry to change the terms of it anytime soon. Once the harvest season was over, Nick would be sent back to the city. There would be little work for him then, and he wouldn't be allowed a free ride. Every mammal on the Hopps Family Farm pulled his or her own weight.

"You're right, but we aren't protecting his fundamental rights as a citizen," Judy counter argued. It wasn't right, in her mind, for them to force Nick to live in such squalid conditions in exchange for working himself to exhaustion every day. They might have well of just gotten a collar for him by this point as it would have been just as degrading as doing his business behind the barn.

Having remained silent, letting her husband deal with Judy and Nick, Bonnie decided it was time to step in before her husband and daughter started shouting at one another. Gently pushing her husband aside so she could look at the fox her husband had been hiding in the barn, Bonnie appraised him. She'd heard a lot about him from Judy, and though his species made her uneasy, she figured it wouldn't hurt to give him the benefit of the doubt, to offer him somewhere proper to sleep, eat, and bathe. The way he stayed behind Judy, slouched down and pulled in to be as small as possible, all pointed to the tod being uncomfortable and nervous. Bonnie disliked seeing any mammal feel anxious around her family.

Nick remained quiet while Bonnie observed him, knowing he was mostly hidden behind Judy. The tod felt conflicted. Part of him liked the idea of finally getting to finally sleep in an actual house and have access to proper plumbing, but on the other paw Nick knew he was fortunate to have what he already did, and he didn't want to anger Stu. The city still wasn't safe, and the thought of being forced back there, forced into wearing a collar and subjected to abuse and electric shocks, filled the fox with an endless amount of fear.

Having made up her mind, Bonnie turned her attention to her husband. She could understand his apprehension, his need to protect her, but Judy seemed to trust the fox, and as sheriff of the district and her daughter, Bonnie trusted her judgment. "Judy makes a valid point, Stu. She's had nothing but good things to say about Nicholas. It wouldn't hurt to let the boy stay in the warren."

Sighing, Stu pinched the bridge of his nose. The buck had a feeling he was fighting a losing battle. Nick had been instrumental on the farm, and deep down the buck had felt a little sorry for keeping him out in the barn. However, his family came before anything else. Licking his lips, he dropped his paw back to his side. "Fine, he can stay inside," he conceded.

Hearing that he would be allowed to stay inside the warren, where it was cooler and more comfortable, Nick couldn't stop his broad grin. "Thank you, Sir. I promise I won't cause you any bother."

Stu sat back down on the bar stool with a thud, sighing. "First sign of trouble, and you're back in that barn, understood?" He gave Nick an ultimatum, hoping the threat would be enough to keep the tod in line.

Nodding, Nick knew he'd agree to anything if it meant he'd get to stay in the warren. He'd never expected Judy to argue his corner, and he had been content with what he'd been given, but the fox couldn't deny his excitement at the prospect of bedding down somewhere safer. "Yes, Sir."

Smiling, Judy couldn't believe that she'd won the argument and that Nick would get to stay in the warren. Figuring they needed to get out of the kitchen before her father changed his mind, Judy grabbed Nick's wrist, dragging him from the room and further into the warren, through multiple twists and turns until they eventually entered her bedroom. She'd have to go and find a spare mattress for him soon, along with some sheets.

Nick took in the room, Judy's scent strong and heady in his nostrils. The walls were painted yellow while her furniture was white, a little loved and worn looking, but sturdy. A bed, nightstand, desk, chair, dresser, and floor length mirror were all she had. Judy's bed sheets kept with the yellow of her walls, little daisies embroidered on the quilt cover. A soft cream rug had been placed on the floor beside her bed, which was pushed up against the far wall. There was little on her desk save for a few notebooks, a pen, and her sheriff's badge. On top of her dresser were some photo frames, filled with pictures of her family. Shelves had been put up on the walls, lined with trinkets and some rabbit teddies, a few trophies and books too. "I promise I won't steal anything." Nick fell back on humor, uncertainty filling him. The tod knew he owed her. Judy had helped him out of the barn, had bettered his situation.

Guilt coursed through the small bunny as her shoulders slumped. Leaning against her desk, Judy's gaze dropped to the floor as her ears drooped. "I should never have accused you of doing such a thing, I'm sorry."

Shrugging, Nick took a slow stroll around the room, getting more of a feel for the does personality. "I don't blame you, Fluff, most mammals think the worst." It was a sad fact of life for the fox. The stereotypes of his species were hard to shake, no matter how much Nick tried to prove to others that he wasn't sneaky, or sly, or untrustworthy.

"I don't think the worst about you, Nick." Judy protested, gaze lifting to find the tod walking around her room. He looked a little anxious. Judy figured this was a lot of change for Nick, and that he was under a lot of pressure to be on his best behavior.

"Mhm," Nick hummed, coming to a stop at the shelf next to her desk, emerald eyes observing all of her awards - spelling bee, bunny scouts, judo, and a few more. Nick couldn't remember ever receiving an award as a kit.

Not liking Nick's tone, Judy reached out for him, her small paw wrapping around his wrist once again as she captured his attention. Now she'd broken the touch barrier with him, the doe no longer felt so afraid of his paws, of his sharp claws. Once Nick met her gaze, she spoke. "I mean it. You're a good mammal, Nick."

Judy's touch and her soft gaze made Nick relax, and he felt at ease offering her a smile that showed just a hint of sharp teeth. "Thanks, Carrots."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited by Cimar


	4. Part IV

After moving into the warren and sharing a room with Judy, the tod found his days and nights much more enjoyable. He had company now, someone he could talk to in the evenings and share stories with. Judy had plenty of tales for him about her family and time as an officer, and in turn, Nick shared stories of his life with his mom. What used to be Nick falling asleep as early as possible while living in the barn, turned into late into the evening discussions with the grey doe.

The more time they spent around one another, the closer they became, and soon, they fell into a pattern that had them moving together like a well-oiled machine. It became a running joke in the Hopps warren that wherever one of them was, the other wouldn't be too far away. Judy had tried with all her might to keep a modest level of distance between them, had tried not to make it evident that the tod affected her, but it had been futile. He was charming and witty, handsome and strong, and the doe was screwed. She'd resigned herself to the fact that Nick had, somehow during the past month, become the most important mammal in her life.

Judy had introduced Nick to her hundreds of siblings, starting with the eldest and working their way to the youngest. The last of her siblings the fox had met had been the newborns, Bonnie having brought six new little lives into the world two weeks after Nick had moved into the warren. It had been a somewhat tense meeting, with Stu on edge and Nick fearful, but with Judy's calming influence the meeting had proceeded with a hitch. Though it didn't help Judy's fast beating heart when the thoughts fluttered through her mind of how good a father Nick could be as he beamed at the young kits.

There was still another month left of the harvest season, and this year's crop yield was immense for all of the farms across the district. Thankfully, more and more predators had started to arrive from the city, and more and more farms were opening their doors to them, offering them work in exchange for safety. With the increase in the predator population had come an increase in the workload for Judy. She'd vetted every new mammal, checked their details on the police database, and had asked Nick for his opinion on them. So far there hadn't been any problems, but Judy had been forced to spend more and more time away from Nick and the farm, to work from the small sheriff's department in the middle of the district. Stu had been uneasy about letting Nick work unsupervised, but when the tod had returned home at the end of every day with the back of the truck loaded with harvested produce, the buck had felt sorry for ever doubting him.

Now, Judy sat at her desk in the small sheriff's office, paperwork strewn out in front of her, computer on and logged into the police database, and the line of predators outside slowly dwindling. She'd spent all day working through them, finding them temporary accommodation and farms to work for. Nose buried in the paperwork for the ocelot that Judy had just spoken to, the doe waved in the next mammal. Scribbling her signature on the form, she slid it into her out tray before she lifted her gaze. A red fox sat opposite her, similar to Nick but looking a whole lot worse for wear with filthy clothes and a thin physique. "I'm Sheriff Judy Hopps, and you are?" The doe took the lead, offering the mammal a reassuring smile. Most of them were frightened, thrown off balance by being hunted by Mayor Bellwether in the city limits. A little bit of kindness went a long way.

The fox looked over the bunny, remembering the whispered gossip she'd heard upon arriving in the district. She couldn't believe her luck. "Marian. Marian Wilde."

Judy froze; jaw dropping as the vixen's name sank in. The pen she'd been holding in her paw clattered to the desk. "Wilde. As in…Nick's mom?"

Marian gave an eager nod; pleased the gossip had been true.

"Oh my goodness…" Judy breathed, shocked. She broke out into a large smile, excitement filling her. "Nick is going to be so happy! He's missed you so much." Every night before bed Judy heard Nick whisper a small prayer, asking for his mom to be safe and well, for them to be reunited soon. Judy silently joined in every time, laying in her own bed and praying too. The doe couldn't wait to bring them back together, couldn't wait to see the look on the tod's handsome face when she arrived with his mom back at the warren.

"I'm so glad my baby got out of the city," Marian sniffled. She'd feared the worst, that the ewe Mayor had gotten hold of her boy and hurt him, or had forced him into wearing a collar and was subjecting him to endless pain. Occasionally the thought that perhaps he'd escaped the city had crossed her mind, but that had opened up a whole new can of worms – had he died from hunger? Been hit by a car? Lynched by a gang of angry prey mammals? When the vixen had made it to Bunnyburrow and had overheard a few otters talking about a red fox with emerald eyes and a lazy smile living with the Hopps family who was helping them harvest the fields, hope had flourished in her heart that they'd been talking about her baby. Now, hearing that he was safe and being taken care of by the sweet bunny Sheriff across from her, Marian felt nothing but overwhelming relief and gratitude.

"I only have a few more mammals to process, I'll take you to him then if you'd like?" Judy offered, already knowing the vixens answer. As much as Judy wanted to finish work now and rush Marian back to the warren, she knew she had a duty of care towards the final three mammals waiting outside of her office.

"Thank you, Sheriff." Marian felt like she might cry. When she'd lost sight of Nick in the crowds after they'd fled their home, she'd thought the worst. A kind timber wolf, who had once been an officer in the ZPD before Bellwether had banned all predators from public services, had helped her escape the city, using the sewers to circumnavigate the rams patrolling every street. It had taken much longer than anticipated for them to get out of the city limits, and it had taken them even longer to trudge towards Bunnyburrow. Food had been scarce, showers more so. Marian couldn't wait to bathe and eat.

Delving a paw into one of her desk drawers, Judy grabbed a few protein bug bars. They weren't a lot, but they would ease Marian's hunger until later this evening. Sliding them across the desk, Judy offered the vixen a gentle smile. She still couldn't believe that Nick's mom was sitting across from her, that she'd made it to Bunnyburrow. "There's a small washroom just down the hall, and there's a rack outside of it. You should be able to find some fresh clothes there," Judy offered. As the predators had started to arrive, the districts clothing makers had spotted an opportunity to help. Armed with fabric, needles, thread, and patterns from the internet, they'd set about making a variety of clothes for the many different species arriving.

Reaching out, Marian picked up the protein bars from the desk. While she wanted nothing more than to shove them in her maw and devour them, her mother had raised her to be a lady…at least in public. They wouldn't last long once she had the door to the washroom shut. "Thank you, again." Marian smiled, rising from her chair and headed back to the door she'd entered through. She would go and freshen up, eat the provided bars, and then wait for Judy to finish work.

Grinning as she watched Marian go, the doe was positively vibrating with excitement. She still had the last few mammals to deal with, though. Knuckling down, Judy summoned the next predator into her office, ready to start their paperwork. She'd fill in Marian's later.

After an hour, Judy finally signed the last bit of paperwork, handing the lynx opposite her a map of the district, highlighting where their new temporary home would be. The lynx having been assigned to the Cotton Family Farm. As the predator thanked her and left the room, Judy let out a small sigh, paw rising to wipe her forehead. She could feel a headache starting and her paw hurt from all of the writing she'd undertaken but she was happy with a full day's work accomplished.

Shutting down her computer and storing her documents in the locked safe at the back of her office, Judy yawned. Picking up her bag from next to her office door, Judy stepped out, locking the door behind her. Throwing her keys into her bag, Judy slung the item over her shoulder, turning to find Marian dozing in one of the soft armchairs. The vixen had changed into a clean set of clothes consisting of a soft pair of cotton pants and a matching blouse, and her fur had been washed and cleaned, brushed smooth. The pearl necklace she'd worn earlier was still firmly in place around her neck. "Mrs. Wilde?" Judy spoke softly, taking a step towards the sleeping fox.

Hearing her name being called, Marian woke, emerald eyes finding the little bunny. "Sheriff," she greeted, sitting up in the chair, embarrassed at having been caught snoozing.

"Please, call me Judy," the doe insisted with a soft smile. "Are you ready to head to my home?"

Nodding, Marian pushed herself up and out of the armchair, old bones creaking. She'd been incredibly comfortable, pleased to have somewhere safe to rest after spending so much time running.

Judy led Marian out to her truck, helping the vixen into the passenger seat before she rounded the vehicle, sliding in behind the wheel. Starting the car, the doe headed home, a comfortable silence falling over the pair. Marian spent her time looking out of the window, enjoying the rolling countryside. She'd been born in the city, had lived there her whole life, and had never set paw outside of the city limits until she'd been forced to flee with the timber wolf. They'd arrived at the Sheriff's office together, and Judy had seen him after Marian. Wolford had been relocated to the Hare Family Farm, and they'd promised to keep in contact.

The drive home didn't take long, and soon Judy was pulling around the back of the warren, turning off the engine. The truck next door was the one Nick usually took out to the fields with him, and its position out back suggested the tod had finished for the day and was home. "Are you ready?" Judy stole a glance to the vixen, noting the apprehension in her posture. The sound of the back door opening captured Judy's attention, large ears swinging towards the noise. Habit had her exiting the vehicle quickly, rushing over to Nick as he stepped down from the back porch.

The tod stooped a little as Judy reached up, the pair of them embracing. Hugs were a new thing, having only started a week back, but for the touchy-feely doe, it felt right to reach out for the tod, especially now that she knew he wouldn't hurt her. The first time Judy had embraced him, Nick had been rooted to the spot. Very few mammals embraced foxes, so for a rabbit to do so had been incredibly surprising. Nick had returned her embrace, though, enjoying the feeling of holding another mammal, of physical contact.

"How was your day, Slick?" The nickname was new too. Nick had been tasked with collecting some apples from one of the orchards, and Judy had gone with him one evening to show him the ropes. She'd clambered up onto one of the old rickety ladders to reach the branches, and the wooden structure had given way beneath her, rotten and weak from having been left out in the elements. Before Judy had hit the ground, Nick had caught her, and Judy had complimented him on the slick move. It had struck her then that it would be a perfect nickname for the fox.

"It was good, thank you. I brought home enough carrots that your mom is currently baking a giant carrot cake." Nick pulled back from their embrace, standing back to his full height as he offered the gray bunny a loving smile. "How about you?"

Judy grinned, teeth sinking into her lower lip. "Probably the best day ever." She bounced on the spot, excitement bubbling up inside of her. She couldn't wait to see the look on Nick's face when Marian joined them.

"Yeah, why's that?" Nick indulged the small bunny, lazy smile firmly in place as he watched her practically vibrating. The tod would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about what had pulled such a reaction from the rabbit he was incredibly fond of. The past month with her had been indescribable, the best month of the tod's life so far. Sure he wasn't pleased about spending all day in the fields without her, but coming back to the warren to find her waiting for him, spending their evenings together on the back porch chatting, made every hour laboring away in the dirt worth it. The hours alone had given the tod the opportunity to think some more about the bunny, about their friendship, and the fox had come to the logical conclusion that he wanted to try for more with her. He'd wait, though, until harvest season was over. The last thing he wanted was to lose his job or face Stu's wrath.

"I've got a surprise for you," Judy teased in a singsong voice, rocking on the balls of her hind paws.

Surprise painted Nick's face before his brows furrowed. "For me?" he clarified, unused to any mammal surprising him with anything.

Turning around to look at the truck, Judy lifted a paw, motioning for Marian to leave the cabin. Nick's gaze shifted from bunny to the truck.

Marian had watched her baby and the bunny interact, unable to move from her seat, breath catching at the sight of them embracing. Was something going on between them? Marian made sure to look her son over as he spoke with Judy. He appeared well, seemed happy and healthy, and Marian knew she owed the little rabbit and her family for taking in her son. As Judy motioned for her to leave the vehicle, Marian took a deep breath, feeling tears stinging in her eyes and the almighty thudding of her heart ringing in her ears, her palms sweaty as she reached for the door handle.

Finally getting the door open, Marian slipped out of the passenger seat, a paw still nervously holding onto the open door as emerald eyes found the matching pair she had stared into every day for the past twenty-eight years, the pair she'd thought she'd never see again.

"Mom?" Nick felt like his heart had stopped beating, like the world had come to a complete standstill. His mom. Alive. Well. Here. "Mom!" Nick bolted across the yard, racing towards the vixen.

"Nicky! Baby!" Marian called back, tears finally falling as she ran towards her kit, needing to hold him, needing to feel that he was okay. She was exhausted, body close to giving up after spending so much time on the run, but she found a burst of energy to push her towards her son.

They came together in the middle of the back yard, arms wrapping around one another as they sank to the grass, sobbing as they held on to each other tightly. "Mom. Mom." Nick whispered, burying his snout against Marian's throat, inhaling her scent.

"Nicky, my son." Marian pulled her kit closer, smoothing her paws over him, subconsciously making sure he was uninjured. She couldn't believe he was here, that he was okay, that he'd made it out of the city unharmed. It was a miracle.

"I'm so sorry, mom. I'm so sorry," Nick sobbed, clutching at his mother's shirt, paws scrabbling for traction as he sniffled. "I left without you. I'm so sorry." The guilt had been eating away at the tod, had been slowly consuming him the longer he'd gone without hearing from the vixen.

"It's okay Nicky, it's okay. We're safe, we're both safe," Marian soothed, trying to pull her tears back under control, to be strong for her kit. Pulling back from their embrace she grasped Nick's face, gently wiping away his tears before she leaned in, rubbing the side of her muzzle along his snout, covering him in her scent.

Nick whined, feeling like a small kit again as his mom smothered him in her scent, comforting him.

Watching Nick and his mom reunite, Judy felt warm tears rolling down her cheeks, soaking her fur. She'd hoped for a sweet reunion, but nothing could beat what she was witnessing. Head turning at the sound of the back door opening, Judy was surprised to see her mom and dad exiting the warren. "You were taking a while, we were wondering what was going on," Stu explained, frowning at the sight of his daughter's tears.

"Nick's mom found me," Judy whispered, glancing towards the pair of foxes. Bonnie and Stu turned to observe Nick and Marian; the older does features softened at the touching scene and Stu gave a small nod.

"I'll set up a room for her," the buck offered. Nick was a good kit, a good mammal, and in Stu's mind, he'd been raised right. He believed that Marian shared the same qualities. He wasn't concerned about having her in his warren. She'd done a good job raising Nick.

Once Marian had been shown to her room and had settled in, Bonnie had brought the vixen into the kitchen, and the two had fallen into easy conversation, preparing dinner together. Though Bonnie was an excellent cook, Marian was full of helpful tips and new recipes. The two ladies knew it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Stu had headed out to the barn to tally up the day's harvest, leaving Nick and Judy to spend their evening together like usual. They'd grabbed a few blankets and had headed out into the cool evening air, sitting together on one of the wooden benches on the back porch.

Getting comfortable, Nick pulled Judy's legs up, letting the doe rest them over his lap. She was snuggled between the tod and the bench armrest, and the doe relaxed. Large paws finding Judy's legs under the blanket, Nick gave them a gentle rub. He could feel the lingering tension in her body, knew her days taking care of the growing predator population was tiring. "I'm glad I found your barn." The fox broke the comfortable silence, emerald eyes focused on the horizon and the rapidly sinking sun. Nick didn't like to think about what would've happened to him if he'd have stumbled across another farm, if he hadn't met the Hopps family and Judy.

"I'm glad too, Slick," Judy whispered in return, watching as the tod turned to look at her, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. In the dying light, he looked even more handsome than before, the fading sunshine further warming his reddish-orange fur.

Subconsciously, both mammals leaned towards one another, drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Nick made the first move, giant paw sliding out from under the blanket to tentatively cup Judy's cheek, clawed thumb smoothing over her cheekbone. Judy leaned into the touch, the warmth of Nick's paw seeping through her fur, caressing her skin. Nick was so close, his touch not as platonic as it usually was. Judy's nose twitched, nerves making her swallow. Emerald and violet met, locking onto one another.

They stayed that way for a while, enjoying the physical contact, before Judy slowly pulled away. A flash of sadness on Nick's face gave Judy courage, and before she could stop herself, she'd stretched towards him, paws grasping and tilting his muzzle. Her lips met the soft fur of his snout, millimeters from his own lips. It was a bold move, one the doe had never thought she'd do, but Nick had looked so sad, so upset with their loss of physical contact, and the rabbit never wanted the fox to feel that again.

Nick's heart hammered against his ribcage, eyes widening as the rabbit he adored pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to his snout. It caught him off guard, set his pulse racing, and made it hard for the fox to think straight. Judy had kissed him.

"Turns out you did steal something, Slick." Her whispered words took a moment for the tod to process, but soon he was frowning.

"I don't remember stealing anything. What did I take?" Nick had never stolen anything in his life. Sticky paws were not something attributed to the red fox.

Judy's paws stroked along the fox's snout and she lowered her mouth once more, this time, kissing Nick's lips. Pulling back just enough so she'd be heard, nearly giggling as Nick followed after her with his lips, a silly grin on his muzzle, the doe smiled softly. "My heart."

* * *

 

Nick woke first, lazily blinking as sleep started to slip away. He stifled a yawn with a paw, sitting up slowly. Though the chairs were designed for comfort, laying in the same position for an hour could become a little uncomfortable. Lifting the visor, Nick pried the helmet from his head, mind a little fuzzy as he tried to snatch hold of some of the dream. Wisps of it teased him – scorching sunshine, the smell of dirt, Judy, his mom. Nick paused. Judy had yet to meet his mom, and somehow the vixen had made her way into their shared dream.  _"Well, that killed any romance I'm sure."_

Placing the helmet back down on the stand it had come from, Nick forced himself out of the chair and across to the country bunny at his side. The small yawn she gave, showing off blunt prey teeth, was enough confirmation that she was awake. Gently he pried the helmet from her, and when her violet eyes opened Nick was smacked with a memory from their dream. He was down on his knees, in the dirt, Judy looming over him.

"Slick?" Judy watched as the tod's eyes glazed over for a moment, and it wasn't until she reached out to touch his chest that he jolted out of whatever memory he'd been lost in.

"Sorry, I was distracted by your beauty," Nick teased, setting Judy's helmet aside before he offered her a paw, helping her out of the seat.

"Har har." The words were out before Judy could stop them, and they made her pause as she went to take Nick's paw. Snippets came back to her. A field on her family farm, a truck, harvest season, and Nick teasing her like always. The doe smiled, pushing herself up and out of the seat, grasping Nick's paw as he helped her down. She had a feeling this experience had been much more romantic than the last. "What do you remember?" Judy twisted to look up at her fox as they stepped out of the machine.

Holding Judy's paw, Nick led them over to the register, where a bored fox sat playing on his phone, oblivious to any customers. Tail flicking out to brush against Judy's legs, Nick tightened his hold on her paw, eyes narrowing at the other tod for a moment before he gave Judy his full attention. "I remember you, and me, and the sunshine, and…" Nick paused, suddenly hit with the memory of Judy checking out his tail. Too good an opportunity to miss, Nick drew them to a halt, pulling Judy close, one arm sliding around her waist, the other rising so he could stroke her cheek, enjoying the way she blushed at the intimate hold he had her in. "You were checking out my tail," he whispered, the fluffy appendage in question brushing against the back of Judy's ankles once again.

"Nope, I would never do that. Don't lie." Judy denied it, though she faintly recalled checking him out. The doe figured she couldn't be blamed for her actions, though. Nick was a good-looking mammal and her husband after all...and at present, she was putty in his paws.

Dropping his voice an octave, Nick leaned in, the scent of Judy's floral perfume filling his nostrils. "Ouch, Carrots. I may have made my living by lying, but you've made an honest mammal out of me now."

"An honest mammal that lies to his wife about her checking out his tail," the doe whispered back, pushing up on the balls of her hind paws, desperate to close the gap between them and take a kiss from her mate.

Tutting playfully, Nick slid his paw from Judy's cheek to the back of her head. "If you're going to be this way Fluff, then I'm going to have to prove I'm right." He closed the distance between them; pressing a sweet kiss to his does lips before he pulled back, letting her go. The slightly dazed expression on the bunny's face stroked Nick's ego, and the tod gently led her over to the bored fox.

Fishing in his wallet, Nick pulled out some cash, throwing it down onto the counter. "Think we could get that experience on a flash drive, and something to view it on, please?" The tod wanted the chance to relive the experience, the opportunity to add to the faint memories that swam through his mind. With a scowl, the fox behind the counter fulfilled their order, and Nick entrusted the flash drive into Judy's care.

"Ready to head out Fluff?" Nick held out a large paw, a small noise of contentment slipping through his lips as Judy took the offered appendage. In his other paw, the tod held onto the bag containing their own at-home helmet.

Taking Nick's paw in her own, Judy offered her fox a warm smile. "Born ready, Slick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my loves,
> 
> This is it for my What If? contribution I'm afraid. The parameters were around 3k words a chapter for 4 chapters. I hope you all enjoyed this fluff-fest tho! I appreciate all of the truly lovely and wonderful comments I've been receiving ^_^
> 
> I'm very heavily considering coming back to this story in the future and expanding on it, perhaps turning it into an AU world rather than a dream sequence, or I could keep it as a dream sequence but make it longer? Sound off in the comments below and let me know which you'd prefer! :)
> 
> Thanks again to Cimar for letting me be part of this great project, its been a blast and I can't wait to share the other mini-story I've written for it in the future.
> 
> ~ Ophelia x


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